“Do not drop those bombs”: Trump warns Israel against striking Iran again
Washington, D.C.: US President Donald Trump has issued a blunt warning to Israel not to launch fresh airstrikes on Iran, after Israel’s defence ministry announced plans for “intense strikes” in response to what it called an Iranian ceasefire breach.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!”
The statement comes amid renewed volatility in the region, as both Israel and Iran have accused each other of violating the temporary ceasefire deal.
Trump criticised Israel’s rapid retaliation after the ceasefire, suggesting the country has lost strategic clarity after years of conflict. “They’ve been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing,” he said.
In an interaction with reporters, the US president also stated: “I didn’t like that Israel ‘unloaded’ immediately after agreeing to a ceasefire.” He added that “both sides” were responsible for ceasefire violations.
Despite the rising tensions, Trump reaffirmed his position that Iran would not be allowed to rebuild its nuclear programme. However, when asked directly whether the ceasefire had been broken, he responded ambiguously: “I don’t think so.”
Trump’s remarks mark a rare and direct criticism of Israel by a US president.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Top US counterterrorism official resigns over Iran war, says Iran posed no imminent threat
Washington (AP): Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, announced his resignation on Tuesday, saying he “cannot in good conscience” back the Trump administration's war in Iran.
Kent said on social media Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
There was no immediate comment from the White House.
Kent, a former political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, was confirmed to his post last July on a 52-44 vote.
As head of the National Counterterrorism Centre, he was in charge of an agency tasked with analysing and detecting terrorist threats.
Before entering President Donald Trump's administration, Kent ran two unsuccessful campaigns for Congress in Washington state. He also served in the military, seeing 11 deployments as a Green Beret, followed by work at the CIA.
Democrats strongly opposed Kent's confirmation, pointing to his past ties to far-right figures and conspiracy theories. During his 2022 congressional campaign, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right military group the Proud Boys, for consulting work. He also worked closely with Joey Gibson, the founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer, and attracted support from a variety of far-right figures.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kent also refused to distance himself from a conspiracy theory that federal agents instigated the January 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol, as well as false claims that Trump, a Republican, won the 2020 election over Democrat Joe Biden.
Democrats grilled Kent on his participation in a group chat on Signal that was used by Trump's national security team to discuss sensitive military plans.
Still, Republicans praised Kent's counterterrorism qualifications, pointing to his military and intelligence experience.
Sen. Tom Cotton, the GOP chair of the intelligence committee, said in a floor speech that Kent had "dedicated his career to fighting terrorism and keeping Americans safe.”
